Many people might not see the damage a painting of a white male God can do – but it never seemed right to me, a young woman of color who has next to nothing in common with a white male God. I grew up seeing paintings in the church foyer that only showed a white male God, surrounded by white angels, and being taught in Sunday school by predominantly white leaders. I’m sure for many of them, God was a white man. My own image of God was a little more hazy. I couldn’t relate to the God I’d been given. Finding Heavenly Mother has strengthened my testimony in so many ways. Knowing that God could look like me, or my mother, or my grandmothers has helped me see my worth as a daughter of God – a daughter of Heavenly Father AND Heavenly Mother. Addressing how we see God is part of addressing our internalized racism. If God is always portrayed as white, we start to equate whiteness with godliness. Representation in religious art is incredibly important. Finding art portraying God as a woman, especially as a woman of color, has helped me find my testimony. Finding Heavenly Mother has helped me find my divinity.
by Lina Wong